In certain embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a pulsed radar system, and more particularly but not by way of limitation, to a pulsed radar system in which an amplified transmit waveform is sampled on a high-power side of a radar amplifier and fed back to a computer system and used to interpret return signals indicative of echoes from a microwave radiation created by the amplified transmit waveform.
As background, pulsed radar systems are well known in the art and can be used as weather radar. Weather radar, also called weather surveillance radar (WSR) and Doppler weather radar, is a type of radar used to locate precipitation, calculate its motion, and estimate its type (rain, snow, hail, etc.). Modern weather radars are mostly pulse-Doppler radars, capable of detecting the motion of precipitation (rain, snow, hail, etc.) in addition to the intensity of the precipitation. Both types of data can be analyzed to determine the structure of storms and their potential to cause severe weather.
A pulsed radar system has a transmit mode and a receive mode. In the transmit mode, a transmit signal is directed to a radar amplifier which amplifies the transmit signal and directs the amplified transmit signal to a radar antenna. The radar antenna converts the amplified transmit signal into microwaves directed into the atmosphere. After the transmit mode, the pulsed radar system automatically switches to a receive mode in which the pulsed radar system uses the radar antenna to listen for echoes in the atmosphere due to the transmission of the transmit signal. The pulsed radar system interprets the echoes into return signals and then interprets the return signals into a graphical display showing features such as clouds, rain drops, or the like that are present within the atmosphere.
Sensitivity of the pulsed radar system is an important aspect in determining power requirements and effective distance of the pulsed radar system. One manner to increase the sensitivity of the pulsed radar system is to improve the ability to interpret the return signals into the features present within the atmosphere. By increasing the pulsed radar systems ability to interpret the return signals into the features present within the atmosphere, the power requirements and the effective distance of the pulsed radar system can be improved. It is to such an improved pulsed radar system that the present disclosure is directed.